Profile on Residents of the Condobolin Retirement Village

Cobber (Hector) Paterson

I was born at Condobolin Hospital due to there only being a bush nurse at Mt Hope where my parents lived. I was the youngest of 6, having 2 older sisters Ruby and Ida, and 3 older brothers, Robert, William and Jack.

I went to school at Mt Hope until I was 14 yrs of age and we lived about 2 miles out of town so we had to walk to and from school each day. After school I had chores to do, feeding the chooks, gathering the eggs, chopping and collecting wood for the fires and fuel stove. When I was about 12 yrs old my mother and I went to Sydney for a holiday and stayed about 3 months with Mum’s relatives.

Father was away a lot carting wool on a bullock team to and from the out lying stations.

I joined the army aged 25, training for 6 months at Dubbo before being shipped to Port Morseby, New Guinea. I fought on the Kokoda Trail, Buna and Gona in an artillery Bren gun carrier armed with a Vickers machine gun on the front of the vehicle. The conditions were hot, humid and lots of leaches.

At age 32 I met my wife to be, Kathleen, we married and resumed living back in Condobolin and had our first child, a daughter. The family then moved to Queensland so I could work as a manager of a cattle station.

We were living at Claremont when our second daughter arrived. After 7-8 years in Queensland we moved back to Cobar in NSW to live and manage a property about 28 miles out of town.

We did a lot of traveling where ever work took us over the years, Brisbane, Adelaide, Tasmania and Melbourne. Returning again to Condobolin to work for the Shire Council and retiring at age 65 yrs and then taking up a hobby of fixing lawn mowers for a local shop owner – Ronnie Owens. Adding on to the house and working in the garden until about 2 yrs ago when my health deteriorated and I had some time in hospital and Kath and I couldn’t care for each other properly, we decided to move into the Retirement Village.

Reg and Val Pawsey

Reg was born in Condobolin and is the fourth child of seven.

Val was born in Nymagee at her grandfathers house and was delivered by her grandmother as there were no doctors in small country towns in 1924, the nearest doctor was 60-80 miles away. Val was the first child of six.

Reg always lived with his family working on the land in the shearing sheds with his father. He went into the army when he was 22 years old and was sent to Western Australia.

Val was brought up on a property and the nearest school was many miles away, so Val had a live in private teacher until she was 12 years old. Val worked in many positions in her 69 years until she retired. Mostly as dining room waitress at The Family, The Royal, The Railway and Condobolin Hotels. Val also worked at the Red Rose café for 1 year and 4 months.

Reg returned from Perth after he had been serving in the army for 2 years and Val met him at the Open Air Picture Theatre.

Reg and Val married 5th August 1944 in the Church of England by Reverend Barrett before Reg returned to camp. Reg and Val have been married for 63 years.

Reg and Val have two sons and one daughter, nine grandchildren, thirteen great grand children and one great great grandchild.

“We have been in the village for 3½ years and don’t intend on leaving, we have very good staff, they treat everyone very well and always happy and pleasant and always help when needed”

Laura Thornton (Nee Oppy)

Laura was born in Condobolin and grew up with her parents Mary Anne (nee Doyle) and William Oppy and 8 brothers and 3 sisters on the property North Condobolin. Laura attended school at Morgandale with her mode of transport being horse and sulky. Laura’s father was a Farm Manager and her mother a Seamstress.

Laura has many special memories of her childhood growing up in such a large family and on a property. No doubt some very entertaining moments occurred.

Laura married Charles Thornton on the 4 August 1934. They had 7 children – Velma, Joyce, Merle, Allan, Colleen, Anne and Barry, all of which keep in regular contact and visit when able. Laura also has 82 grand, great grand and great great grandchildren.

Laura thoroughly enjoys family gatherings and it is always a very exciting and busy time when they all manage to get together. Laura also enjoys reading and keeping active by walking each day.

Beryl Wighton (Nee Coe)

I was born the eldest of 8 children to Lesley and Matilda Coe at Condobolin Hospital. Dr Fitzsimmons and Nurse Floyd brought me into the world.

We lived on a station until I was nine years old and my mother drove us to town in a car for school. I liked school and had many friends.

As a child I really enjoyed riding horses, I remember one called Tom that I was was too small to get on so I had to climb onto a stump to get onto him.

I really enjoyed sport, playing hockey right up until 30 years of age and was a champion player. Our team ‘The Boomerangs’ won 19 Championship Cups in a row.

After leaving school I worked on a cattle station helping the manager’s wife in the home doing domestic duties and childcare.

During my adulthood I also worked as a childcare teacher here in Condobolin.

At the age of 20 I married Mervyn Wighton (better known as Micky to his friends) and we soon had our first of eleven children, Michael followed by Lesley, Ian, Graham, Denise, Colin, Dennis, Cheryl and Marion and our two adopted children Lee and Kylie.

I lived in my own home here in Condobolin until I suffered a stroke a few years ago which is when I came to live at the Retirement Village. I am very happy here there are lots of activities to do and you get a choice about what you want to do.

I am also very lucky that I have a close family which often visits and very fortunate to be able to go out their homes on a regular basis.